Monday, January 23, 2017

Tishaura Jones and the 1990’s Redux

I was employed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 2003 to 2009.One of
the most inspiring aspects of the job, was reading the words of its founder, Joseph
Pulitzer, posted on the marble wall in the publication’s lobby. In part, Pulitzer
said the newspaper would:

“…always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate
injustice or corruption…always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers,
never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare…never
be afraid to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory
poverty.”

"...always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare…" - Part of the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Platform

It
didn’t take long for me to realize the betrayal of those laudable words,
especially after Lee Enterprisesbought
the newspaper in 2005. This was the time of upheaval for newspapers across the
country. The Internet was proving to be a major advertising competitor for print media. Widespread
fear of losing revenue led to layoffs, retirement deals and it created a shift in how the Post-Dispatch presented news. From my vantage point, it
placed the concerns and wishes of the Red-State readers, the “privileged class,” Mayor Slay, downtown
developers and “public plunderers” way above the concerns of liberals, ordinary citizens and “predatory poverty.” Not only does it tolerate “injustice
and corruption,” the PD promotes the concerns of the powerful with
puppy-like zeal.

A 2002 Take Five Magazine article I wrote that examined Slay's role in a racially-divided city

Take
for example its recent hit jobs against only one of the slate of mayoral candidates-city treasurer, Tishaura Jones. Let
me say up front that I have no dog in this race. Although I have big respect
for some of the other candidates, I can’t help but question why so much emphasis
has been placed on destroying Jones’ campaign. The treasurer has been singled
out for taking 50 trips since 2013 that has cost taxpayers about $27,000.00. The newspaper admitted she has modernized
public parking, saved the city at least $5 million dollars and, in fact,
increased city revenues. Yet, in typical fashion, it goes out of its way to paint another black politician as unqualified and corrupt.

Although I have big respect for some of the other candidates, I can’t help but question why so much emphasis has been placed on destroying Jones’ campaign.

With no credible sign of malfeasance, despite her obvious
transparency and ability to publicly defend her expenses, the newspaper wrote a
biased, if not sexist editorial urging voters to “Bring the high-flying St. Louis
treasurer down to earth.”Keep in mind, this is the same
newspaper that in 16 years, has never questioned the trips, business or family connections or “taxpayer money” Mayor Slay’s spent traveling, lobbying, wining & dining or profiting off rich
developers and downtown interest's donations. Because the mayor slurps from the same trough
as the newspaper, he gets an automatic pass. The predominantly white and predominantly male editorial board at the PD just makes the insulting assumption that Slay, the white mayor, is always doing the people’s business without question.

Because the mayor slurps from the same trough as the newspaper, he gets an automatic pass.

There’s a benefit to being born and raised and writing about this cityfor more than 30 years. I remember the shenanigans of politicians and the
newspaper’s slave-like attempts to protect the interest of big business and the
white power structure. In order to really understand the motivations
of the establishment press, we have to take a 24-year trip back to
a time when a similar, possible power play caused outright panic in the hearts of St.
Louis' oligarchy.

Virvus Jones (left) Mayor Freeman Bosley (right)

The year was
1993. Because two prominent, white mayoral candidates split the white vote, a
black candidate, Freeman R. Bosley Jr.won with 83 percent of the black vote. Prominent, white city
leaders freaked out. For the first time in St. Louis’ history, a black mayor
and a black comptroller, Virvus Jones, held two of the three-person seats on the Estimate and Apportionment (E&A)
board, the uber-influential entity that oversees the city’s purse strings.

In order to really understand the motivations of the establishment press and elite players, we have to take a 24-year trip back to the time when a similar, possible power play caused outright panic in the hearts of St. Louis' oligarchy.

Ray Hartmann, former publisher of the RFT, summed up
the quandary confronting whites in his Feb. 2001 commentary:

“But the first time --the
very first time-- whites
faced zero representation on the city-governing board, race mattered. It turned
out whites had a racial quota (one) for whites on E&A and, further, that
they had no problem taking affirmative action -- as an openly organized caucus
for whites -- to achieve a race-conscious remedy.”

Ray Hartmann, former RFT publisher

Jones came under investigation for mishandling
campaign funds during the 1993 Democratic primary race for comptroller. He was
convicted in 1994 for cheating on his federal income taxes and sentenced to one year in federal prison. To the chagrin
of many powerful whites, Bosley turned around and appointed another African
American, Darlene Green, who still serves as comptroller today.

White city
leaders had only one hope for at least one white vote on the E&A Board. The
third seat is held by the president of the board of aldermen. The white aldermanic President at the time, Tom Villa,
announced he would not seek re-election in the 1995 campaign. State Sen. Lacy
Clay (now a congressman) talked publicly about running for the seat-which
meant, if he won, blacks would control all of the E&A seats.

It turned out whites had a racial quota (one) for whites on E&A and, further, that they had no problem taking affirmative action.- Ray Hartman

Hartmann’s editorial spoke of the “insiders” who darkly predicted that
St. Louis would become “like East St. Louis” with whites fleeing the city in
“even greater numbers than the current exodus” if there were no white
representation at the highest levels of city government. He recalled the Nov. 19, 1994 emergency meeting where “white
Democratic leaders representing all but two of the South Side's aldermanic
wards convened a summit to ward off the danger of this all-black thing.”

TheSt. Louis Post-Dispatch-the region’s largest daily
newspaper- got in on the frenzy by publishing an editorial directly asking
Clay, in the name of “fairness,” to stay out of the race. The editorial boldly asked
that Clay allow the E&A board to “…have representation from all segments of
the city."

ThePost-Dispatch got in on the frenzy by publishing an editorial directly asking Clay, in the name of “fairness,” to stay out of the race.

Clay and Bosley succumbed to corporate, political and media influence.
Clay, citing pressure from whites, decided not to run in the Aldermanic
President’s race. Bosley chose not to
back either of the two African American women candidates interested in the seat. The
former mayor’s choice created a fissure in St. Louis’ strong black political
machine that would soon crumble after the 2001 mayoral race. Instead, Bosley endorsed
a white candidate-Alderman Francis Slay-who won the 1995 election and, six
years later, in 2001, was overwhelmingly elected Mayor of St. Louis.

In retrospect, it’s clear to me why Jones has become the mainstream
media’s major target in this over-populated race. The fact is, she’s electable.
She’s proven to be transparent and more than capable of justifying her
expenditures. She’s served four years in the Missouri House of Representatives. And, with
an agenda of “reform,” she's won city-wide office twice.

I will not be surprised if the Post-Dispatch endorses the single, high-profile
white candidate in the mayoral race, Lyda Krewson. She’s a fine politician but
she’s the one who’s marched in lockstep with Mayor Slay’s divisive, pro-big
business agenda. Not to forget that Krewson’s ward has been the biggest recipient
of tax incentives and select neighborhood perks throughout Slay’s terms in
office.

In retrospect, it’s clear to me why Jones has become the mainstream media’s major target in this over-populated race. The fact is, she’s electable.

Jones has gained the support of State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed andwhite, far south side aldermen who’ve publicly exposed and challenged the old, south city, white establishment guard.
Unlike, two of the notable black candidates in the race, Jones outspokenly trashed and
refused to endorse the multi-million dollar football stadium deal. She’s expanded the role of treasurer with programs
such as the Office of Financial Empowerment that teaches
residents how to better manage their money. Jones also created the College Kids
Children’s Savings Account, a program that will automatically enroll an estimated 6,400
city kindergartners in a college savings program this summer.

For me, the establishment media’s hit-jobs on Jones makes her a more attractive
candidate. I personally like how she talks more about “equity”
than “unity” as some of the other candidates prefer. The word “unity,” to me, seems
like an attempt to address the fears and concerns of Slay and Krewson’s supporters. “Equity”
means shaking things up to provide resources and political clout to long-disenfranchised
voters throughout the city.

Jones has gained the support of white, far south side aldermen who’ve been publicly exposing and challenging the old, white establishment guard.

This, plus the fear of another black mayor, is the stuff that scares the
bejeebus out of folks that the Post-Dispatch and the old guard pamper. Tishaura
Jones, as mayor, resurrects the fear of an all-black E&A board and
threatens to break up the good-old-boy fiefdoms of short-sighted white aldermen.
Her victory will also challenge the complacency of black aldermen who’ve allowed the
city to re-segregate itself under their watch.

St. Louis is already stuck in the past. It’s still relying on big-ticket
projects and shoring up already stable white neighborhoods. The newspaper, city leaders and Mayor Slay's main agenda is to lure the children of the white flighters (1950s-1980s) back to the city at any cost. It will take new vision and gutsy leadership to drag
the city into the 21st Century and make it a more eclectic, diverse
and modern metropolis.

I am not endorsing or supporting Tishaura Jones’ campaign…not yet
anyway. However, as I watch biased, racial politicking and the same old dirty,
media tricks from 25 years ago, I feel compelled to share what I know from decades of writing about our city. Let us not fall for the okey-doke. Let us not be misled
by a mainstream media that’s reliant on business-as-usual. Since the Post-Dispatch has seemingly
abandoned Pulitzer’s Platform, apparently it’s up to the voters, to: “...fight for progress and
reform." It's the role of an informed electorate to "never tolerate injustice or corruption and always oppose privileged
classes and public plunderers.”

5 comments:

Sylvester, my job moved me here to St Louis in 1989. St Louis was a big ol' country town then and it still is today. Tishaura Jones has a real vision for St Louis ... and the citizens ... both black and white ... need to elect her to bring us into the 21st century. Old money has failed this city for way too long. White people need to stop being afraid. Your article is "spot on".

Sylvester, my job moved me here to St Louis in 1989. St Louis was a big ol' country town then and it still is today. Tishaura Jones has a real vision for St Louis ... and the citizens ... both black and white ... need to elect her to bring us into the 21st century. Old money has failed this city for way too long. White people need to stop being afraid. Your article is "spot on".

Sylvester, my job moved me here to St Louis in 1989. St Louis was a big ol' country town then and it still is today. Tishaura Jones has a real vision for St Louis ... and the citizens ... both black and white ... need to elect her to bring us into the 21st century. Old money has failed this city for way too long. White people need to stop being afraid. Your article is "spot on"

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About Me

Born and raised in St. Louis. In 1987 started Take Five Magazine, a pro-active, community-based, investigative publication. Operated for 15 years. Hired as Metro columnist with the St. Louis Post Dispatch in 2002. Brought Bill Cosby to town, debated Bill O'Reilly and wrote a column that saved a baby's life. After leaving the Post-Dispatch in 2009, started working with SmileyBooks as a consultant and writing contributor. Founded When We Dream Together, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing urban communities in 2011. In 2012, began "The Sweet Potato Project," a summer program aimed at teaching "at-risk" youth entrepreneurial skills. Students planted sweet potatoes that they turned into a viable, marketable product-a sweet potato cookie. Currently running both nonprofits, working as a freelance writer and consultant and about to enter the self-publishing arena.

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